This could be an inspired piece of placing by Joseph O'Brien, whose classy Flat filly GALILEO DAME would have had realistic hopes in the Triumph after her rallying second in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown and here she's armed with an age allowance. No previous winner had run only once over hurdles but Sixandahalf looked as though she had been jumping all her life as she breezed home in a Fairyhouse maiden. Combine the professionalism of that display with the smart level of form she reached on the Flat, and her prospects are crystal clear. Maughreen, who is out of a half-sister to dual Festival hero Faugheen, appeals most of her stable's seven runners, while Jubilee Alpha and Diva Luna could be the best of the British.[Alistair Jones]
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Point/bumper winner; it was over 2m4f that she won with ease at Down Royal on Boxing Day (good to yielding) when too quick for a strong stayer who has since won a Grade 3 over 3m; she still commands a second look given her upward trajectory, and 2023 winner You Wear It Well's previous improvement had come at 2m4f.
It's in her blood to win at Cheltenham, as a daughter of multiple Festival winner Quevega and a sister to Facile Vega who won the Champion Bumper and finished second in a Supreme; she's not yet in their league and not by a long chalk, but she is 6-9 under rules after bagging a Grade 3 at Fairyhouse in January (2m2f, soft; has won on good); that was more workmanlike than super-stylish but she's very much in the reckoning with Paul Townend up top.
Entitled to win comfortably at Market Rasen (good to soft) and on these terms has no right to be reversing previous Windsor placings with Jubilee Alpha; a front-runner who will be prominent to a point but probably not when it matters.
On the retreat when falling in Jubilee Alpha's Listed race at Taunton in December; has since won at Down Royal and finished fourth in a deep handicap at Leopardstown in February, but she ran poorly in a Listed novice just three weeks ago and is now exposed; up against it.
Beat Jubilee Alpha in the Grade 2 bumper for mares at Aintree last April and that form heightens interest; it's been an underwhelming start over hurdles despite the positive form figures, but she did win her maiden here (2m4f) and the ground was very testing when she came up shy under a penalty at Sandown (2m); her trainer believes she has turned a corner since and her raw ability needs respect; has raced on only soft or heavy ground.
2-2 in bumpers; made all and just clung on in a small-field Grade 2 at Sandown (2m4f, soft) four weeks ago, but it's unlikely that represented any marked improvement on her previous run at Taunton when brushed aside by Jubilee Alpha; her yard won this two years ago but this mare probably has no more than place aspirations.
Kept to good ground for all three races and won the latest without much fuss, a 2m maiden at Cork; however, her form credentials are well down the pecking order in this company and she's been off since early November.
Beat all except Diva Luna in the Grade 2 bumper for mares at last season's Grand National meeting; came up short in a Listed race on hurdling debut (though was eyecatching) and has comfortably won her subsequent races, the latest at Windsor's Winter Million festival (soft, effective on good to soft) when conceding weight to Bluey; there's a suspicion that she'll hold her own but ultimately come up short, though her trainer isn't thinking along those lines.
Beat a useful horse in her point and was then recruited for £175,000; with the favourite running no race, she was left with nothing of note to beat at Taunton (2m3f, good to soft) in January; unexposed and potentially smart, but she's conceding experience to plenty of her rivals and it probably speaks volumes that Harry Cobden rides stablemate Jubilee Alpha.
Got off the mark (second run in a hood) with the front two clear at Clonmel (2m3f, soft); she was entitled to win that but not this on any of her form.
French bumper form makes for very good reading and she made amends for a surprise debut defeat over hurdles with a comfortable success in a winnable race on heavy ground at Fairyhouse; there are possible ground issues (best form has been on very soft or heavy) but she's clearly open to further progress for her top team and has not been without ante-post support.
Has worn these aids throughout her career; won three of her four bumpers in France (all in the mud) but was hammered some 16l by Sixandahalf on hurdling debut at Fairyhouse (2m2f, yielding to soft); on the possible plus side, she was sent off odds-on favourite for that and her jumping could improve; nonetheless, it's hard to have confidence in her.
Useful winning hurdler but ran moderately on the Flat a month ago and Jubilee Alpha has her number on their previous clashes; it would be a shock of seismic proportions should she pop up in front here.
Ran respectably in good-quality bumpers last season and she looked the winner a long way out when taking a mares' novice on heavy ground (fine on good) at Chepstow in January; has more races in her but flying too high here.
Sister to top-class chaser Tornado Flyer and her dam is a half-sister to dual Champion Hurdle winner Hurricane Fly; she won a bumper and had enough under the bonnet to make all in a 2m3f maiden at Punchestown (2m3f, soft), despite jumping markedly left at the final two flights; can't afford to be losing her focus in this hotter race and others appeal more.
Her dam is a half-sister to dual Festival winner Faugheen; hasn't been remotely tested to win her first two races in a soft-ground bumper under Patrick Mullins and a heavy-ground maiden hurdle (for Paul Townend who rides Aurora Vega) in which her jumping became more accomplished as the race progressed; held in high regard by this race's winningmost trainer and the ceiling of her ability is yet to be revealed; hood now fitted; dangerous.
Carried a penalty and jumped scruffily when beaten at odds-on last time at Wetherby; she did repel a below-par Diva Luna in December but she was then behind some of these at Taunton; hard to envisage her making an impact.
Has won a point and a 2m1f maiden at Clonmel (good to yielding); beaten around the 10l mark in her Grade 3 assignments, latterly behind Aurora Vega when in the first-time tongue-tie; difficult to warm to.
After one run she's light on hurdling experience for a test of this magnitude, but she jumped impeccably when winning at Fairyhouse (yielding to soft) and we know she's talented having beaten a good horse in a bumper before progressing so well on the Flat last year (third in the Irish Cesarewitch on good ground); appears to have a high cruising speed and an ability to quicken, which could provide a telling late challenge.
A very capable mare at the right level and it was her fifth hurdle success from 14 starts when winning comfortably at Taunton last month (soft; fine on faster ground); makes very limited appeal on this promotion to a Graded race.
Had a subsequent Irish maiden hurdle winner just behind when runner-up at Auteuil in September 2023 (2m2f, very soft) but the form is nothing special; these powerful connections saw enough to get her on board but this race asks a huge question of her after so long out and Mark Walsh rides Karoline Banbou for the same owner.
Only 1-8 on the Flat but she was well up to Listed level and consistent; runner-up in both her hurdle races and she's a major player judged on her strong finish behind leading Triumph contender Hello Neighbour in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown last month (soft; fine on drier ground); 4yos have never threatened in this race (0-8) but none traded at shorter than 20-1 and six were no-hopers; interesting with her age allowance given she wouldn't have been out of place in the Grade 1 Triumph.
1/5 Odds Place 1,2,3,4
( Pool guide displayed could change before the race starts & should be used as a guide only )
